Who are we?

We are just a couple of regular folks who love bicycles. There's Tim, who is in charge of trying to be all things to all people and forgetting stuff and Judith, who has a mean reputation for showing people products they never knew they couldn't live without We try to ride as often as we can, both for enjoyment and to maintain a sound grasp of what works and what doesn't.

Tim and Judith started the shop in 1991 - we opened up in a store room of Judith's family business and started to take in repairs and sell what ever bikes and accessories we could get our hands on. Tim learned his trade as a cycle mechanic at an early age - whilst at primary school he used to fix schoolmates bikes, to earn money to spend on his own bike. Back then it was BMX, Tim raced at regional and national level, never with any great success, but bicycles and dirt were in his blood. Literally. After a few years away from cycling (studying martial arts - where Tim and Judith met), a back injury forced him to give up and the physiotherapist suggested cycling as a good form of exercise. This was when mountain bikes first started to become more mainstream - the purchase of a 1989 Specialized Rockhopper and a visit to watch a local race (the Cheshire Challenge at Bosley) had him hooked. Enquiries led to an outing with the Cheshire and Peak MBC and Tim's first 'proper' MTB ride was with that group over 60 miles of the Peak District. It was a baptism of fire, but he kept going back for more, each weekend. Racing soon started and hasn't stopped yet. A redundancy from his qualified profession lead to the offer of a job as a mechanic at a frequently visited bike shop. The ins and outs of the trade were soon learned and the offer of space to start their own business, was perfectly timed for Tim and Judith to become masters of their own destiny. Judith has always been supportive and brings a sensible side to some of the stupid ideas Tim comes up with. The couple have three children and looking after them is a full time job - still she finds time to work in the shop and the whole family enjoy cycle touring and attending races together. Judith has been known to race, in the true Sideways style of going for a nice ride with friends, only with a number on the front of the bike. Every day brings something new and the couple relish the challenges they have created in their lives.